The Devil's Child
by Disjointed Silhouette
Summary: Tails was supposed to be a pure person without any dark thoughts. But a devil of ancient times stained his creation after a final spell... Flames are welcome, my second fic
1. Rage

Well, this is a little experiment I'm working on, my second fanfic. Hope this works… Unlike the last story a wrote, I have decided that I should think of how the story is going to end and keep little randomness as possible. I have drawn mind maps, flow charts for this one and I hope this will be an enjoyable read. Wish me luck...

Flames are welcome, as long as they are constructive.

**Disclaimer: I don't even own Sonic in my dreams**

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**Chapter 1: Rage**

_Tails POV_

I always wondered, if my parents were still here, would they actually still love me? Treat me as one of their own, or reject me like all the other people on this island did, because that I had two tails? Would they still see me for who I am? Or would they see me as a monster? I stared into my reflection, into the puddle, looking deep into it…

"Hey, Tails, we're ready right? So, let's hurry and put the pedal to the metal, ok?"

Sonic was the closest thing to a father I ever had, and the closest thing to a friend too. I can't imagine what my life would be if, somehow, we didn't meet at all. Without him, I'll probably still be at East Island, living some boring life, wishing for a friend to talk to, a hero to follow…

I turned around and smiled as I went over and hugged him.

"Sonic… thanks for everything you have ever done to me…"

"Hey… no prob."

I made my way to the driver's seat of the shiny, blue Tornado X, my masterpiece that stood on the small runaway beside my workshop and greeted me with a sense of excitement. By the time I got up, Sonic was already at the back seat, fully strapped up and ready to go. As the engine whirred silently, I lifted off…

"Hey, why didn't you tell me that I still have a grandfather over there, on East Island, Sonic?" I said, light-heartedly, something that had been on my mind for quite a long time now, since the news was revealed to me about two weeks ago.

Strangely, Sonic didn't answer back.

Puzzled, I focused my mind onto other things.

I remembered that day two weeks ago, when, after working in my lab for a while, sat down on the table for lunch. Well, Sonic looked a little despondent as he passed me the letter, but I almost choked on my chilli dog when I read the address on the envelope, then the letter.

East Island

From Merlin Prower

Dear Miles,

So, I have finally found you, my little boy! It is a long time since I last saw you; I am your grandfather, Merlin Prower, in case you don't remember.

I know you still have bad feelings of this place; in fact, I can remember how all the others were afraid of you just because of your two tails! To be honest, things haven't changed, and many still fear you. But still, it has been 11 years since we met, and I think we should catch up on old times. Frankly, I don't believe in any of the horrendous, untrue myths that surround you, Miles.

Note that although I have tried to keep this quiet, it somehow leaked out to the religious authorities, they have exploded to me that you were the reincarnation of the devil! Spinning a tale that insn't really true, this is their most incompetent attempt yet!

Come soon.

16.19.2050

Merlin Prower

Wow, I could actually remember the whole letter, since I read it so many times! Sonic said he got to know me through him. Hmmmm…

"So, what are you going to do this two weeks, Sonic, when I aren't here?" I changed the subject, trying to make the ride a little more enjoyable.

"Cream is coming to live with me for a little while. Other than that, nothing much." Sonic said a little indifferently.

Finally we were over the sea, which was strangely calm today. A couple of flying fish playfully jumping around, maybe the occasional dolphin, nothing much. Everything was so quiet, that for once, the effort I put in to soften the sound of the engine seemed a little futile. When the doctor was still alive, there was anti-aircraft fire everywhere, aiming for me, more of deafening than accurate. But now, everything was calm. So calm that…

Sonic interrupted my thoughts. "Tails, I think there is something that you should know."

"Huh?"

"Well, Merlin Prower may seem like a nice guy, but, really, he is a little psychotic. Not as psychotic as Eggman, but, I think you should keep an eye on him, still."

"Why?"

"You know when I said that he introduced you to me?"

"Yeah…"

"Well when I was exploring around East Island, I went across a village, and a little hut, and as I was running past it, I saw you. You looked terrible, mondo hurt, bruises all over your little body, crying very badly. Then, I saw this guy, casting some spell on, you making you throw up. And you cried even louder…"

I felt my heart break. How could Sonic make up such a monstrous lie?

"and then he fed some blue stuff into ya, and you immediately stopped crying and started clapping…"

I turned around, tears flowing down from my eyes. When Sonic saw this, he immediately stopped and shaked his head, and murmured something…

I exploded. "Sonic! I'm only going away for two days! Can't you live without me? Stop it, Sonic, tell me it insn't true!" Suddenly, I felt a strange feeling start to overcome me, I thought of punching Sonic, hurting him, and among other things I wouldn't do. I took a deep breath in, and out, but still, I felt hatred. It was still there, although it ceased to grow, it was still there. I concentrated on a faraway object, trying to keep it there.

"Tails, it's true." Sonic said back, in a sympathetic manner I knew to be fake.

My blood pressure started to rise. "It insn't! My grandfather is a great person. He is a better person that you, Sonic! And that's for sure! You were nothing to me, you are just a useless, ordinary hedgehog!"

Wait. That wasn't my words, I didn't mean that… But I started feeling kind of strange, as if my grandfather was being my master, and that I was to… to glorify him.

Still… I started gripping the steering wheel very tightly.

'Tails, you haven't even met him! Come on, you should have more than two brain cells to remember that! Or don't ya?" Sonic was being unreasonably angry when he said that

"Stop it!" I started reaching for the laser blaster in my secret compartment.

"Tails, I really, really think we should turn back."

That was the last straw.

I pointed the gun at Sonic's head, the red guiding point on him. Sonic held his two hands up in an attempt to stop me. How pathetic.

"Get out of my plane, you dumb hedgehog." I said venomously.

"I won't," he said courageously, rather foolishly.

"I'll shoot."

"Go ahead."

I placed my finger on the trigger, and prepared to pull the trigger on him. But suddenly, I heard a voice, telling me to cool down and remember that Sonic was my… best friend… I focused on that thought, despite others telling me to do otherwise. Finally, I opened the drawer, threw the blaster inside, and slammed the drawer, saying some words I was not supposed to say.

I felt myself sweating rather heavily, as sub-consciously I heard voices of disappointment and taunting in my steaming head. But as those voices started to dissipate, a discernable one began to appear.

"Ah… The lesson you should learn, my son, is that friendship is a very, very severe hinderence, and that rage is invaluable, for you, for the time being. You should have shot him when you had the chance, but never mind, you are still learning. When you get strong enough, you will be able to overcome the stupid angel in you, and make me proud, my son. I trust we will meet again, Miles."

That was very spooky…

I turned around, hoping to be able to apologize for my behaviour. But he wasn't there anymore…

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If you think that this has potential go ahead and say it. If you think this is garbage than feel free to say it, but tell me my mistakes. I'm looking for those.

My first first PoV story!


	2. Signs of the arrival

10 reviews in one chapter… I'm shocked. Yeah, I was rushing then, maybe cause of pure excitement. Think'll despise this chapter, by the looks of it, it's not gonna be very good.

**Chapter 2: Arrival**

_Riscal's PoV_

I had always liked the beach. It was a nice spot where anyone could sit down and cast their troubles away. The scenery was perfect, especially when it was during sunrise or sunset, there was no land from here for about a 100 miles, nothing obstructing the view of the orange circle that would rise out of and sink into the water. It was really beautiful, and of all the places on East Island, this was the best; without fail, I would always be here dawn and dusk. I did this for 13 years

Now wasn't anytime special, it was now noon, and the sun was high up there. It was extremely hot, and if this was any other day, I would have little reason to be here. But this would be the last time I would ever be here. In fact this would be the last time I would ever be here on East Island.

Exile…

A droplet of liquid dropped from my eyes into the smooth, white sand. East Island was my home for the past 21 years; I never ever left its ground's embrace even once. My home, my family, the beach, I'll never see them again. Beside me was my ransack, full of books and some biscuits and 'souvenirs' to ensure my physical and spiritual survival.

Books…

Somewhere in the pile of books in my bag, was the book that changed my life forever, which temptation caused me to be driven out my island. Bibles from other religions were forbidden here on East Island… As a priestess, I wondered, how could I ever forget that? How could I turn away from my own home? Why did I do it?

Another tear dropped…

The ring of the bell yanked me back to reality. I turned back.

11.55 a.m…

When the clock struck noon, I had to leave… and live in the cities of cold steel and concrete, instead of the trees and the clear blue sea.

I looked back. My father did not even bother to come here and say goodbye to me. Neither did my friends, my brother or anybody else.

More tears…

The occasional dolphin jumped out of the water and landed back with a splash, not far away…

I heard footsteps. Someone was running towards me. I turned around excitedly, hoping that it was that of my mother, or at least a friend. But no, it was just a stranger. From the church…

"Priestess Riscal," he shouted, panting. "Please come with me. Your father… he wants to see you."

My father… the only person I ever hated; the person who successfully overthrew the monarchy rule a long time back. Determined, always hot-headed, inflexible in his decisions, and wanted things his no way no matter what. I think he never loved me at all... Worst of all, he was the arch priest in the central church and therefore the King. Once someone broke the rules, he would never hesitate to give them the appropriate punishment; the only reason why I wasn't dead now was because I was a female.

Firm but fair…

"I'm no longer a member of the church anymore." I trembled nervously. "Besides…"

"Your father has agreed to postpone the time. Now, please, it's very important."

As the clock struck twelve, I walked nervously to that person, wondering what his reason for asking me to go there was. No, it wasn't for forgiving me, with the current feeling of shame he is in, probably something else...

_Sonic's PoV_

"Sonic… I'm sorry… Come on, I promise, I won't do that again, please come with me…" The fury fox in the biplane said, in his usual innocent tone. I was skeptical however, maybe it wasn't real.

I was now running back to where we came from, on the water. I stared deep into the blue eyes, trying to find a sign of the monster inside him. There was sort of none… Still…

Merlin was a real tricky person, a magician. He was extremely cunning, maybe this was scheme of his to get Tails into his grasp, or maybe to dispose of me. Or was it a more innocent motive, to get someone to accompany him?

I remembered once, when I snatched the young Tails away from him, running to the clinic. The young three-year old fox looked seriously hurt, cuts and bruises were definitely brutal, and yet he was yelling very loudly, trying to get out of my arms, wanting to be with his grandfather… Finally, I managed to get him there, with bite marks and scratches on my arms.

After a few days, the restless fox had his cuts and burns treated, Merlin came to me, adopting his innocent look, shedding crocodile tears, telling me some crap that he was a bad father, and that I should take care of him for life. He stroked the little fox's fur a few times, whispering, "I'll never forget you… and you will never forget me." Over and over again, before I told him to stop.

I was ready for anything stupid Merlin would want to throw at me, but there was nothing… Instead, he walked away, with a slight grin.

A feeling of fright came over me, and I turned my head to look at the young vulpine, but he was still behaving normally, with innocent eyes…

Still… I had a feeling that he was up with something, and waited for something weird to happen. That time never came, and after a while, Tails began to become more and more open to me and started to talk to me…

But now that Tails was going to meet Merlin, I had a bad feeling about it ever since I read the letter. I know, it's a small thing that shouldn't be worth thinking about, but signs had already begun to show…

"Come on… Don't leave me, please." He said, with innocent eyes.

"For the last time, Tails, No! Either we go back together, or you go there alone."

"So…Sonic…" he murmured

With tears in his eyes, he reluctantly turned the biplane around a U-turn, staring at me as he did so, sadly… The noise of the propellers faded into the distance.

I gave a slight smile as I also turned towards where Tails was headed for. Obviously, I wouldn't live Tails alone; I'll keep an eye on him.

_Riscal's PoV_

Climbing up the stairs of the Tower was extremely tiring for a little girl; it was over 7 stories high, and the only way to get there was by the dark, spiral staircase, which always made me dizzy and nauseous.

I stopped for a while, and took a look at the stained glass window right before me, which provided the little light in this stuffy place. This was a little different, the last 4 were all heroes of the past, but this one depicted a dark sorcerer, the devil Uzu that devastated this place 3000 years ago. I took a seat and searched through my mind, wondering what he really did… He was a frail and crippled, how could he do so much as to rule East Island?

Apparently, I had forgotten.

I finally reached the top, and opened the door slowly and nervously. I saw my father, facing his back at me, seated on a chair, in white robes

He spoke. "So, it has been confirmed, Riscal. The bearer of death, the master of darkness, he is coming, today."

Before I could question him, he pointed to the lavishly decorated mirror on the left, now showing a cute, young, two-tailed fox, sitting on a strange contraption known as an airplane, looking quite sad. Sapphire eyes, the tuft of hair…

He looked awfully familiar…

When I faced back at my father, he was now facing at me, with red eyes, numerous beads of sweat, and wrinkles. He clenched his fists, and started to become frantic.

"That damn Amadeus, he should've let me kill that two-tailed devil, when he was still weak! How could he defy me; he knew well that an animal born with two tails is the sign of the devil! And yet, he refused to hand him to me… now look at what he's done…"

I looked down, silent, wanting very much to object, but not daring to. He sensed it however, and pointed to the mirror on the left again.

Now, the frame was dark, rusted metal. Tails was now in a completely different light, portraying his dark side, looking hideous. I turned away in disgust.

"Why have you asked me to come here?" I questioned, finally gathering the courage to speak.

"I have a proposition for you, Riscal. Since you are the youngest person here, I think that you are the most suitable person to talk to him… I want you to persuade him to drink this…" He held up a vial of clear liquid. "If you do it, I will revoke your exile sentence. You want that, don't you."

"But this person, he's just a child…" I said as I slowly took the vial from his hands

"It is for the better, Riscal! Sacrificing one life to save billions, it's a fair deal! Obviously a smart girl like you should know that."

"There must be some other way…" I said in a low tone.

"NO! You had better do this, Riscal, I order you to! If you don't, I will hold you responsible for the deaths of millions, possibily even billions! This is a chance for you to redeem yourself, why don't you take it? You have shamed me, Riscal, shamed me! I can't take no for an answer, do this or you shall be sentenced to death!"

I ran of the door, timidly…

I knew it, this IS a stupid chapter. Hope my fancharacter does not become a Mary Sue…

As usual, tell me what you think. I was rushing, so sorry…


	3. Darkness

Well, after 2 months of dormancy, I'm finally back! Sorry, I had lack of inspiration. Hopefully, I have not lost my touch and I hope this will be a readable chapter.

* * *

**Chapter 3: Darkness**

_Tails PoV_

Sonic is gone… he had really abandoned me.

And I don't blame him… I was mad that time, insane, pointing a blaster at his head. Just because he insulted my grandfather wasn't any reason to kill Sonic at all, and yet, I threatened to kill him; in fact I really felt like pulling the trigger at him if I didn't have that thought in the morning, that Sonic was the most important…

I started to think about what really happened back at that scene. How did I get so angry? Who did the voices in my head belong to? All this questions filled my head, and I had no way to answer them.

I was really so mad…, I was never like that; something or someone was definitely influencing me, controlling my body and soul….

Controlling my soul… releasing my dark side… destroying the angel in me…

Knuckles said something to me at Floating Island, that I was someone meant to be pure-hearted, a Chosen One. That task was almost completed by the gods, but it was as if someone snatched me from heaven and put me on Earth before I could be properly molded… Does this have to do with all this?

I reached a conclusion. Obviously, all this had to do with East Island, and, maybe Sonic was right. Maybe Merlin was actually behind all this, trying to destroy our friendship by murdering Sonic. If that was true, once I land on the island, I don't think I could ever have a chance of going back to mainland.

I would learn my past, but I wouldn't learn my future…

The sun was setting, and Sonic was still nowhere to be seen…

I had to turn back now. There was simply too much risk involved to go there. I may have been extremely excited about this at the start… but the strange event that happened, it gave me a feeling that something bad was about to happen... And Sonic wasn't here to tell me what to do; he couldn't save me if he did not know that I was in trouble.

I closed my eyes, grabbing the joystick and preparing to turn it around…

Suddenly, the sub-conscious voices started to speak in my head again as I felt my whole body… turn numb. I could not move my body… it was as dead as a rock.

"Who are you?" I shouted at the top of my lungs, trying to sound brave.

"Turning back? You cannot run from your fate… Miles."

I started to feel my hand slowly let go of the joystick and being put on my lap.

"Ahead of you is a path of glory and riches. You will be the ruler of the world. Are you sure you want to get away from it?"

My will… he seemed to be bending it. Why didn't I feel like going back anymore?

I shook my head like a zombie.

"Then, there is no reason to do anything!" An evil laughter rang in my head, and slowly dissipated again.

I closed my eyes in fear, as I buried my head into my hands. What have I done to deserve this? He wasn't just capable of controlling my emotions; he was capable of controlling… me. I didn't even try to fight back, it happened so quickly…

"But what… is my fate?" I whispered…

No answer came.

Instead, an invisible force pushed my head up. East Island was now in view, in the shadow of the setting sun. Reluctantly, I switched on the landing gear, cringing in fear. Something bad was really going to happen…

* * *

_Riscal's PoV_

The church library wasn't huge. All there was in there were 5 bookshelves and a few tables and chairs. In fact, no new entries ever came for the last 200 years. The stale smell, the stuffiness and the lack of readable books served to put off many people, and it was often deserted except for times when a few readers like me would come. I knew a little of the native tongue.

I spent some time in the library today, reading the bible I knew so well. To my dismay, my father was correct once again. It said this… "The one with two tails will cause great trouble for the people of Mobius, due to the devil Uzu's final spell that surprisingly succeeded in penetrating the spirits of heaven, managing to curse a person to be named Miles. However, if destroyed before the date of its release, the first second of the year 2051, then it would present no threat."

Another passage, "Uzu was a powerful devil that kept the land in his grip for many, many years. Despite his deceitful appearance as a frail elder, he had the ability to call out the dark side in the purest of foxes and control them through that medium. As he fed on the darkeness, he grew into a fox with nine tails, a kitsune that could live for all eternity, and summon the forces of magic to do his bidding. Only when Jaques managed to clinch the 7 emeralds of purity through 5 months of temptations and allures, that he killed Uzu."

Jaques was a well-known folk hero, and stories about him would circulate form the elders to their children.

I also remembered who Tails was; I knew him when he was a baby, as my father would always bring me to his house. I didn't really know the reason, but when my father was not paying attention, I would play with him, and he would always laugh when I touched him.

But now I know what the strict priest was trying to do. To try and take him away and kill him, perhaps along with Rosemary and Amadeus for going against his orders repeatedly. Of course, a man named Robotnik took them before my father could… but that wasn't relevant.

I didn't take long to find that passage, but what kept me in the library was my own disbelief that the cute two-tailed fox was really Uzu's reincarnation. Exhausting all the holy books in the church library, I decided to turn to my forbidden book that followed the Echidna's religion and not mine, although there did not seem to be anymore echidna's left…

I found the passage which seemed to be the most relevant one. It read, "The 11th of the 12 Chosen Ones who were able to contain and use the power of the 7 chaos emeralds, was to the purest one, full of goodness, without any dark thoughts. He is to be a two-tailed fox, and will grow up to be the most powerful…" I stopped there, in fear of getting caught by someone when I heard some noises.

Was it possible that these 2 passages was both true. It was possible that these two could go hand in hand. Although the first one said that harm to Mobius could be averted through killing Tails, it said 'if' instead of 'must'…

I dug into my skirt pocket, taking out the vial of clear water. Was it really necessary to kill Tails, or was there some other way? Some other way to allow him to achieve his true destiny of being a 'Chosen One'?

I took one hard stare at the water. An air bubble floated to the top. I was going to be the one to poison Tails, I wanted to object…, but as my father said, he would hold me responsible for the death of billions if I did. And besides, I had to make it up to him… and he was firm but fair, he would kill me no matter whether I was a stranger or a daughter.

Hmm…

Suddenly, a high pitched scream from outside disrupted my train of thought, followed by the sound of a stampede. I quickly threw the vial back into my pocket and ran upstairs.

And what I saw… it was spectacular. The stone pillar at the centre of the church, it was resonating with a dark glow. That was bad news, it signaled the coming of the devil, Uzu! He was on the island right now! Everyone was panicking, screaming, a sense of chaos was in the air. I expected my father's commanding voice to restore order, but… he was not up there at the tower.

Some people started to run away from the church, maybe to get some pitchforks and torches. Some stood like statues, thinking it's the end of the world.

But wait a minute… something was not right at all. These people were reacting as if they hadn't expected this to happen.

Were they informed? My father said he knew about this. He would have gathered everyone and told them that the coming was to happen today. But he did not…

Everyone screamed again. I turned my head to face the stone pillar, and I also screamed…

That was not supposed to happen…

The pillar was shooting a ray of darkness into the sky. The sky began to grow darker and darker…

And suddenly the world was plunged into eternal darkness...

* * *

Ahh… I don't think this flows. Hope you enjoy the history lesson… Please tell me my mistakes again, as always. 


	4. Secrets of The past

Amazing how I keep pleading for people to update their stories soon, when I don't at all.

**Chapter 4: Secrets of the Past**

_Sonic's PoV_

The sudden onset of darkness almost made me slip… How did that come about? An eclipse?

It was scary, running on my greatest and only fear, water… At first, I didn't really think anything about it at all, but after a few close calls, such as this one, it prompted me to be a little bit more careful… I found myself looking for rocks that were protruding out from the sea, not wanting to put my life at risk again... at least for today…

Remembering how close I was to dying when I tripped over that coral reef… I broke into a nervous sweat. I was helpless. I couldn't dog paddle like Tails could; I didn't even know how to keep myself afloat. All I could do was to flail about mindlessly in the water, and slowly make myself go deeper… and deeper into the water.

It was such a close call… The pain of breathing in water was now forever etched my head. If I hadn't been able to clutch onto that rock, I would have… died…

The ocean wasn't like some kind of zone, like Hydrocity; at least the water wasn't really that deep, and that there were bubble pumps and shields everywhere, with a path that can get me back to the safe ground with only spindashing and jumping. Instead, the ocean only had water, no bubble pumpers, no ground, just water. I would just fall into the black void, helpless to do anything.

And the black void was 6000m deep…

A book also said that upon reaching that depth, the water pressure acting on that person would be like having one tonne being pressed on his body, and his remains would be… unidentifiable.

Grotesque images flowed through my mind; that of a certain blue hedgehog with blue eyes turned red, looking as if something had exploded from it inside out, a hideous-looking thing that would be unidentifiable by any means, if it was even found at all… All the innards…

I stopped my train of thought. This was beginning to scare me. I had to chill out… and try to think of something more… peaceful… Being afraid that something will happen, will cause it to happen, I know…

Turning away from the deceptively azure-looking sea, I looked at the sky. This was something much more important.

Why was everything so dark?

I slapped my head at the previous thought I had, Little Planet was the only moon circulating around Mobius, and it would only appear on one month of every year before it fades away into time again. The thing is that, it did not revolute at all during this one month, and the next year, it more or less would stay still. An eclipse would only happen on Little Planet, never on Mobius. 'Eclipse' was an obscure word…, how did I even use it?

Secondly, when I looked back, there was still light halfway towards the horizon. Little Planet wasn't that small… The light and the darkness seemed to be differentiated by, a ring…

Surrounding the whole of West Island… Suddenly, it dawned on me. It frightened me; I could barely hear the words…

"_Sonic…Help!"_

This whole thing definitely had to do with Tails, something bad was happening… This was more serious than I had previously thought, causing the sun to black out, it was more on the scale of nature than just that of an uncle and sun. I had to save him. I had to grab him quick and pull him out of that island before he got into anymore trouble.

Merlin was behind all this, I knew it.

I sped sonic speed towards the island. I didn't care about the water anymore; my fear of Tails getting hurt was much more powerful than my fear of drowning.

_Merlin's PoV_

There were two dangers associated with this kind of uncertain situation. As a lone alchemist in a religiously corrupted island, one could never be safe. Normally, the simple-minded citizens would never care about such a paltry thing, a magician in their midst, despite the incessant preaching of Janus, so long as it did not adversely affect their lives in any way, or cause any danger to them. This made me safe.

However, in these situations, when something weird would happen, the authorities would point the finger to me. People in this secluded place didn't really understand what an 'eclipse' was, so this would allow Janus to take advantage, spewing out lies, inciting their hatred, against us, the community who practiced magic and the arts. They would try to bust into the houses, but if we held strong long enough, the citizens would start to disperse…when the temporary thing would stop.

They hadn't come yet… but something would come, very surely…

"_Tails would come to us; he will come to you…and mark my words, Merlin. What he will become would be the fall of the heavens and the stars. He may be your nephew, that cute one, but in truth… I would appreciate it if you would…, eliminate him, when he is weak, when he is at his vulnerable stage…"_

I scoffed. So untrue…What could happen at all? He was only a 13 year-old young kid, what harm could he present to us? Just because of his two tails?

"_Let him drink the water in the vial…"_

I walked to the table, and took the small glass vial, grasping it in my hand, letting the bottom half hang about in the air. In it, I could feel an awful aura emitted from it, an aura of death, I could even smell it… With a little playing around with the light, I noticed the small, little, yellow tinge to the liquid. Also, after I shook it, the bubbles moved very slowly up to the surface. Obviously, this wasn't ordinary poisoned water. As an alchemist, I quickly recognized the 'water' that was inside the vial. In fact, it was named after Uzu, the mythical beast who supposedly lived a long time ago.

It was named appropriately, as Uzu was the 'devil who stole the hearts of people' (as far as I read). But it is not the stupid slang in the modern cities, denoting a crush, it was something much more cruel than that, as I overheard. It really stole the hearts of people, both physically and in the spiritual sense. Heroes who could not withstand the constant pressure from Uzu, succumbed to him. They would feel no need or love to fight for their citizen's freedom and such, no need to fight against the darkness, and instead joined the darkness, only hatred in their minds. They turned against the nation and killed many. When they eventually died, it was found that they had no hearts in their bodies…

A nice bedtime story to overconfident children. It has been passed down for many generations. I obviously didn't believe the lie, but it was a good story. My sister-in-law, Rosemary, always loved to tell the 2-year old Tails how one should strive to be a good person, lest they get their hearts stolen… It was strange how a mother could tell morals which had not yet any relevance to their lives…

Suddenly, a memory struck me… how Tails' mother died so cruelly. Tails would hate me for this. It was not pleasant at all…

Anyway, the water was named appropriately. Although it did not exactly brutally snatch the hearts away from the chests of people, it accomplished the spiritual sense of it. I heard that the effect of drinking the water was reminiscent of Uzu's. They would roll onto the ground, screaming in agony… not seeing the world as it is…

Not only did it cause extreme pain to the heart, it also contained the right number of hallucinogens to affect the way people think. How people feel… Suddenly, one would feel the darkness of the mind, all its hidden hatred and hate, amplified to its maximum. It would slowly crush their mind, crush their soul, diminishing all the heart and compassion and replacing it with bad thoughts. As I heard, the feeling was that the whole world was against the victim; everybody hated him.

Eventually, the brain would cease to function, not being able to take it, overwhelmed. It would cause a painful death…

"_Even if your lies are true, Janus, do you think that Tails would have intended these things to happen, if they happened at all?"_

"_What?"_

"_Do you think that his true self will support these actions? Support the devil's doings with his body? Do you think that, in all absurdity, he will want to do the things that Uzu tells him to do?"_

"_No… but eventually…"_

"_If that is the case, why do you want to kill Tails, not Uzu? Is it the fault of Tails if he does catastrophic things? Or is it Uzu's? Why should I kill him if he does no wrong? I do not believe in these things, Janus, but even if I do, I will not kill my nephew, you fool…"_

"_You sound just like your brother, my friend. Fair enough, but I will still want to eliminate him though other ways, whether you like it or not… I admire your love for your nephew, but the thing is…why would you want to care about your nephew at all? I had heard some reports of… questionable things you have done to him…"_

Questionable things… About the lunatic I was before, I didn't want to think about that. I had a lot of stories to tell to him…

It was time to brave the dangers… and meet that single person I have never seen in years, and tell him the truth.

I carried my staff, and walked into the lush forest…

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I am very sorry for the massive delay (half a year). This is definitely no compensation, but, I'll just post this up. And yes, it really seems like it is West Island instead of East.


	5. Submission

Ok… the reason why I update at the speed of snail is because I have, many, other things to do, and many, many things which have a higher priority than writing fan fiction. I am sorry for this, but I'll try my best to keep my writing spirit alive and finish my stories first. And yeah, I was too anxious to get reviews the last chapter, so it was shorter than I intended it to. Sorry. Anyway, a moderately long chapter to fulfill your large appetites. If you have not left the table, that is.

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**Chapter 5 – Submission**

_Tails' PoV_

I stood beside the tree trunk, mesmerized by the huge, burning piece of metal in front of my eyes, flames dancing in the darkness. I had crashed the Tornado into the woods, and now, it seemed to be beyond repair. Yet, I was now standing here bewildered and unscathed, with a huge gap in my memory. Sweat beads flowed down my face, as I found myself unable to remember what had happened after turning on the landing gear. The last few minutes, hours, maybe even days, were a blur, and I had no idea what I had been doing then… The more I focused on the Tornado, the more frustrated I became, as I failed to recall what had happened.

I turned my head away from the burning debris, instead trying to focus on something else. I then looked at myself, running my fingers through my fur as I tried to find any wounds or injuries on me. But I was still without a scratch…

I must have jumped out of the plane or something while it was going down… But how could I forget doing such a thing? How could I even land the plane landing onto the island? The last thing I could recall before that gap was me, losing my hold over myself, as darkness took over the sky…

Eclipse. Or was it something more sinister…?

Then I remembered the entity that had been gaining absolute control over me… It was capable of controlling my every move and now, it seemed to be able to completely displace me out of my own body. I shook my head in despair. There was no way I could even put up a moderate resistance towards it. First, it controlled me in the Tornado, and forced me to almost kill Sonic. Then I involuntarily flown onto the island and deliberately crashed the plane. Who knew what would come next?

All the people that are going to be hurt…

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_What is my fate…? _

What was it, what was the inevitable that I had to suffer and why? Why did West Island now seem so inter-connected with my life? It is now more than what it had originally been, my place of birth, and has escalated into something much more sinister and dangerous, with me being manipulated by an unseen being. What had started out as a little trip to find out about my past, to meet my old uncle Merlin, had transformed into a twisted nightmare, and I may have already dug up a little more than what I had bargained for… I could only wonder what the invisible entity wanted to do with me, how he wanted to use me…

But why me?

I looked down to my feet, and then looked up to the sky, pondering… What was so special about me, and why was I chosen by him? There was no way to answer those questions, not at all; thinking about it only merely adding fuel to the fire, for their answers needed to be from someone else. Its range was too wide for me, or anyone, to filter out and acquire the correct one, and furthermore, my understanding of the situation was scarce. But chances are that no answers would be given to me tonight.

Why did he know so much about me, while I knew so little about him?

Angrily, I kicked the rocks on the floor, towards the direction of the blazing, melting metal. A silent, low-pitched 'ding' was made on impact. Only then did I consciously remember what the steel, once coated with ocean blue paint, made up. The Tornado, something I would spend hours on perfecting, adding more components, or taking it out for a spin or two. It was my pride; it was an important part of my life. And now, it was gone…, slowly burning up on the ground; the white paint that wrote the words 'Tornado' melting away into something unreadable…

The minutes of joy and exhilaration, gained by ascending up to the blue sky, being, for the moment, at one with the clouds, riding in the quietness of the atmosphere as one looks down from a great height, the spectacular view of the ocean. These experiences were to forever leave me. Cause' the plane could never ever take to the skies again.

Tears flowed down my cheeks, as I tried to keep my eyes away from the flames, lowering my head. By now, the burning piece that lay in front of me did not even remotely resemble a plane anymore. It was just mostly a pile of black ash now, much less than what it used to be, my plane, the Tornado.

Now, I felt hopeless and miserable. Sonic wasn't here to guide me, the Tornado was now in ashes, the two things that my life revolved around were gone, perhaps permanently. Moreover, now that the plane crashed, I had no way of getting out of this island.

I had to act quickly. The less time I spent here, the better. If that someone wanted me to be on this island, it couldn't be for a good reason…

But getting out of here, it wasn't easy, rather it was… impossible.

I slumped onto the big palm tree, in a state of hopelessness. The only way I could get away in a reasonably short amount of time was to leave by boat, airplane, or any other mode of transportation there I was on the island; I hadn't been on West Island for a quite a while, so I didn't really know. The catch was that I had to communicate in some way to the people here to have a chance of using them.

But there was where the problem lay…

In my childhood, the only memories I had before meeting Sonic were the ones where I got teased at, or even kicked at, the kind that I didn't want to relieve or find out further about. I cringed…, oh how painful it was… Alone, facing enemies from all sides, without a friend in the world to help you face them. That was how dire it was… No one would be there to accompany you when things got dire, no one would be there to console you, no one would even care the slightest about you. You would be nothing more than a grain of dust in the world, unconnected by any life thread, ignored by all others.

And that was what I was. A pitiful two-tailed fox, alone in a hostile world, seemingly unloved. That was why…

"Friends are the best things ever!" I thought aloud, half-smiling, sitting up more straight, as if a sudden pride was infused in me… How my whole life was suddenly thrust from darkness into light when I met Sonic, how my sure fate as a two-tailed freak rotting in a dark corner of a street, unloved and hated by everyone, became a joyful one, part of a circle of friends that could last forever… I don't think anything else in the whole of Mobius could make me happier.

Knuckles, Cream, Amy Rose, Johnny Lightfoot…

_Best Friends Forever…_

But now, I was alone. A throwback to those times… Those dark times. Only much worse, I thought; it could mark the end of everything I had. It was as if fate suddenly knocked on my door, snatched me from my happiness, and dragged me back into the darkness, kicking and screaming, to complete what it had started. There was no one to turn to, no one to pull me out from the clutches of fate; I had to face this one on my own.

I slumped yet again onto the palm tree. The feeling of slight happiness I had a few moments ago seemed unreal and absurd (how could I be happy in this situation?), and was replaced by a feeling of despair. Even as I tried to think of a plan to escape, something at the back of my mind kept yelling at me, that it was useless and inevitable that I die.

One part of me thought that I was going to die anyway. Meeting Sonic did not change anything, it did not prevent me from dying in the hands of the unknown, and all it did was to delay it. The other part still tried to think of a solution, but in the end, my brains failed me. I couldn't think clearly when fear gripped my heart, threatening to squeeze it and pop it like a balloon. Anyway, my mind had already been set; there was no way to escape West Island. It was futile anyway, wasn't it? The mysterious spirit would simply lead me back again, having all the power in the world to do so, and I could only scratch my head and wonder again how I got back to the island…

I tried to think of something else, a solution to the problem, when someone whispered to me, as if he was just a hair's width away from me, speaking directly into my pointy ears,

"_Fate is inevitable."_

I stood up like a bolt, and looked around frantically, searching for the speaker of these words. But nowhere in the area could I see anyone. Then I realized…

"_Fate is written in stone." _

That the spirit was striking again from within. The entity which would cause me to die, the thing that was coming to bring me straight face to face with my dark destiny, my fate, and to make me conform to it whether I liked it or not. I shivered, with the look of paleness frozen on my face. Fear gradually consumed my whole body, and I felt myself tensing up instinctively…, aware of the immense power it had.

Deep down inside, a voice told me to stand up against it, to fight against it, but it was near silent, and it was not even nearly as convincing as the fear that drowned it out. Memories of past events filled up my mind, especially how I pointed the laser blaster into Sonic's head, one action from ending the life of the one that brought light into my life, the one that unknowingly tried to pull me away from my fate.

(Too bad, Sonic, cause' you failed miserably.)

It was still as vivid as ever, and by now, I stopped breathing, waiting…

"_Succumb to it, Miles Prower."_

And now, I ran as fast as I could, deeper and deeper into the forest, whirling my tails quickly. I didn't care about where I was going at all, I just wanted to get away from him as quickly as possible; speed was of the essence. I was genuinely scared…, and I did not want to hear a word about how my situation was hopeless, how everything I was going to do to get out of the rough would accomplish anything but, no matter what would happen.

There was still a way out of this; I tried to tell myself. There had to be a way. I wanted to see my Tornado in tip-top condition again, I wanted to survive to see Sonic being chased by Amy yet again, and I wanted to have the chance to grow up and be like him

I didn't want to end here, to end now. I did not want to see my life come to an abrupt stop like that, without a chance to realize my ambitions. I would survive. I just had to… At all costs.

"_Do not run away from fate, as it would only serve to hurt you more than what is necessary, and nothing else."_

But every word that I heard only served to chip off piece by piece my resolve to live, just like how the strong wind gradually erodes away the mountains, and lays it to waste. My molehill was quickly fading away into a mixture of brown dust and sand, as much of me remained unconvinced by my own words. The sparkle in my eyes faded as I started to feel that I was losing faith…

"You aren't going to cheat fate, you are going to rot into the darkness, you are going to die, Tails, you are not going to see the light ever again. He's too powerful, you have absolutely no chance of escaping; give up that hopeless fantasy and just surrender yourself to him." That was what the sensible side of me was thinking. And everything it had been saying was purely logical; common sense, in contrast to how far-fetched my hopes that I could see the light again were, no matter how I wanted those thoughts to become true.

They would never be…

But still, all those seven years of being with Sonic, saving the world from the evil clutches of Dr. Robotnik, making all sorts of discoveries together, regarding the chaos emeralds and other things. There was so much I did, so much I saw…

I was there when Sonic fell from space into the Mobian atmosphere, as my 6-year old self swooped down in the simple, red biplane to pick Sonic up, saving him from death.

I was there when Sonic turned into Super Sonic for the first time, shining in brilliant hues of yellow, in his all-powerful form, cutting through badniks like knife through butter,

I was there when Sonic saved the world countless times, me playing at least some part in them during those days.

Was that all for naught? I shook my head, using new-found strength to run faster and faster, a hollow smirk on my face. It could not possibly be. My presence in those events; they played some significant parts, haven't they? Those years weren't just a mere obstruction, delaying the journey to the horizon of inevitability. Because I had helped, I have at least played some part in the history of Mobius, and I did change things. I was significant enough to make a change…

I winced at thought that fate had been using me as a mere tool all along, only to throw me into the dustbin like a disused toy. But at least that infused me with some blind hope, provided me with something to build on, and gave me a boost of spirit, and that was long needed. Now I kept trying to remember the things me and Sonic had done in the past, when I actually helped. Maybe that would give me hope and strength, and let me think up of an actual solution…

I kept on running…

"_It was all for nothing, Miles…"_

But the ethereal voice did not let up.

I ran faster, willing myself not to listen to it, thinking up of as many memories that I could.

Everything would turn out okay; somehow, good would always triumph over evil…, and something good will come out of this run.

"_For the centerpiece of the future you have hoped for, the foolish ambitions that you have thought of, and the past you have lived, has been dislodged."_

It took me a moment to figure out where this was leading to. And at this moment, additional fear gradually crept into my soul, causing me to pick up the speed and cover my ears, willing him not to say it.

But he did say it, without any feeling of relent or mercy on me. And I could hear every single word, crystal clear.

"_You pointed the weapon at him. You almost squeezed the very button that would mean his death. You were the one who almost killed him." _

Like a key, it unlocked thoughts that I had barely managed to suppress. Thoughts that would cause guilt and misery to flow within my heart. Thoughts that would give that entity what he wanted from me. And no matter how hard I tried to close that door, I found myself unable to control the endless stream of thoughts that came out from those sentences.

I slowed my pace.

Tears streamed down from my eyes, as the assortment of memories of good times, happy times started to fade, and that one dominant memory, that fateful event, that blaster…

"You were the one who did that, not me! You controlled me, you manipulated me, and you were the one who made me do all of that…" I was cut short by the voice yet again.

"_Sonic abandoned you."_

"No he did not!" I shouted back, closing my eyes, more of a reflex action than anything else. But after that, something held me back…

Another stream of thoughts hit me squarely in the face.

How I looked back at my shoulder only to see Sonic gone, and how I only hugged him this morning, appreciating him for what he had done; these memories pelted my mind, feeling as painful as being hit by stones. It was too sudden, everything was just too sudden.

"_Leaving you hollow and empty…"_

In a snap of a finger, he had left me. He had given up all hope on me, effectively undoing all these years of friendship we had, rendering the times that I have been with him null and void. The significance of those events seemed to fade into nothingness now, since Sonic no longer thought anything of me. He wasn't a friend of mine anymore, was he?

Was he even a friend of mine to start with?

"_With only questions filling your mind."_

No, that was a rhetorical question. Of course he was. He had to be. He just… had.

Memories replayed themselves in my brain yet again, the same kind that had allowed me to continue running just now; the kind which had caused blind hope to surge through my veins. But this time, it had a different effect on me now. Not a boost of morale, but rather, desperation.

"_You long for him to come back, to be happy again…"_

An intense wanting for those times to happen again, for the clock to turn back its hands and make everything the way it should be; full of comfortable happiness and laughter.

It was like trying to grab the stars that were out of reach, but failing miserably, helpless along the tides of fate, drifting towards the horizon of inevitability…

"But h_e does not, and you are left alone crying."_

I tried hard not to think about the past anymore, or to even think about him. I could not give up now, and cause my life to end here. I would fight, I told myself; I would fight all the way till the end. I concentrated solely on running now, not willing to admit defeat just yet.

But I found that my body was not listening to me. My tails were no longer spinning, and no longer was I running. Instead, I was jogging, and worse of all, I was not panting at all. The cause of all this was not physical exhaustion, rather it was a…

Lack of faith…

My heart cried out to him again, and now I started wondering whether I was true to myself, when I said that I would fight till the end.

I looked up at the night sky. To my dismay, it was starless.

"_And find that there is no one to support your shoulder…"_

Sonic.

I wish you were here with me now.

I wish you were here, so that I could hold your hand, and then you could run at the speed of sound, and out of the island.

I wish that you could say to me that everything was alright, and you could take all my troubles and fears away. Like the wind can.

But you are not… You left me in the lurch, Sonic. And now, I do not know what to do.

"_As you fall to your knees."_

I felt a very great urge to stop now, to give in to my fears and let the darkness consume me, to stop the pain. To stop everything going on within me, and let go, with minimal pain. Suddenly, I did not feel like running away from him anymore. I wanted to stop; I wanted to surrender myself to him, since…

Nothing mattered anymore.

The image of Sonic continued to haunt me, as I slowed my jog to a walk, and then to a complete stop. Never had I felt so weak spiritually, never had I ever knew what one meant when he 'loses the will to live'. And now, felt those two feelings all at once.

I was in a trance-like state, as I clutched the left side of my chest; where my heart was. Memories appeared in my head again, but this time, they were more painful then ever before. They collided into me at full force, and this was reflected in the physical sense, as I fell onto the ground; the look of death on my face.

I did not even bother to break the fall.


End file.
